Shelves



F. ZOCK May 2, 1967 SHELVES 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 18, 1965 Int/avian a}, [FA/X 2194K M 4. W

A rraEAA V May 2, 1967 F. zocK 3,316,863

SHELVES Filed Oct. 18, 1965 8 Sheets-Sheet May 2, 1967 F. ZOCK 3,316,863

SHELVES Filed Oct. 18, 1965 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 [rive/Mar.

y FA L/X 206% W MM 4 rraeA/H United States Patent z 15 Claims. (31. 108-108) The present invention relates to improvements in shelves, especially for storing and exhibiting merchandise in stores.

Such shelves are generally composed and assembled of vertical posts or standards on which a back wall is mounted, and of shelf boards which are supported on the standards by brackets. Depending upon the different types of construction of the shelves, these brackets may be either secured to the back wall or directly to the standards. Prior to this invention, these standards usually consisted of iron and were therefore very heavy and hard to manipulate in shipping and also in the assembly of the shelves. Furthermore, a quantity production of such iron standards was possible only if they were made of certain standard lengths. Consequently, if in particular instances iron standards of other lengths were required, they had to be specially made, their cost was therefore much higher, and they had to be ordered a long time prior to the erection of the shelves. If such standards were to be used for erecting shelves with shelf boards on both sides, the standards also had to be specially provided with apertures on opposite sides for the suspension of brackets for supporting the shelf boards. Another disadvantage of these known shelf structures was that their back walls had to be provided with strong wooden frames or at least with strong wooden or iron struts in order to secure them to the standards by bolts, straps, or the like or to give these back Walls a sufiicient lateral stability. Many of the known shelf structures also do not permit the brackets for supporting the shelf boards to be adjusted to different elevations.

In order to segregate different kinds of merchandise from each other or to prevent the stacked items from falling over laterally, shelves are often subdivided by means of wire frames or partitions which are applied upon the shelf boards. This has in the past been done by providing the shelf boards near their front and rear edges with holes into which the free ends of these frames may be inserted. One of the disadvantages of this manner of mounting the frames is that, if the shelf boards consist of metal, small burrs very often remain on the edges of these holes and that bags containing merchandise may be ripped by the burrs on the unused holes when these bags are placed on or removed from the shelf boards or that threads or stitches of textile goods may be caught by such bunrs and the goods be damaged. Furthermore, since these frames or partitions can be adjusted to different positions only in accordance with the location of the holes in the shelf boards, the compartments which are thereby formed on the boards may not have the required size so that either valuable shelf space may be wasted or the merchandise will not be properly held by these partitions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new shelf structure which eliminates all of the mentioned disadvantages of similar shelves according to previous designs, may be easily transported, manipulated and assembled, easily adjusted to any desired height, and easily subdivided into sections or compartments of any desired sizes.

These as well as numerous other features and advantages of the present invention will become more clearly apparent from the following detailed description thereof 3,316,863 Patented May 2, 1967 which is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which- FIGURE 1 shows, partly in section, a side view of a shelf according to the invention which is composed of vertical standards, bases for these standards, brackets projecting from one side of the standards for supporting shelf boards, and a rear wall;

FIGURE 2 shows, partly in section, a similar shelf which, however, is provided with brackets projecting from the opposite sides of the standards;

FIGURE 3 shows a cross section of a standard according to the invention and of a back wall of sheet metal attached thereto;

FIGURE 4 shows a perspective view of the standard according to FIGURE 3 with a back wall of wood attached thereto, and of a metal strip with apertures for supporting the brackets which is adapted to be inserted into the standard;

FIGURE 5 shows a strip;

FIGURE 6 shows a side view of the rear end part of plan view of the metal supporting a shelf-board bracket;

FIGURE 7 shows a top view of the bracket according to FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 shows a side view of the rear part of a shelf-board bracket according to a modification of the invention;

FIGURE 9 shows a side view of the rear part of a shelf-board bracket according to another modification of the invention;

FIGURE 10 shows a cross section which is taken along the line X-X of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 shows, partly in section, a side view of the front and rear parts of a shelf-board bracket according to a further modification of the invention and of a tag holder attached to its front end;

FIGURE 12 shows a side view of a partition which is clamped upon a sheet-metal shelf board;

FIGURE 13 shows, partly in section, an enlarged view of the means for clamping the partition upon the shelf board according to FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 14 shows a front view of the means according to FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 15 shows a side view of a part of a partition according to a modification of the invention;

FIGURE 16 shows a top view of the partition according to FIGURE 15;

FIGURE 17 shows, partly in section, a modification of the means for clamping the partition upon a shelf board;

FIGURE 18 shows a side view according to FIGURE 12 which for connecting an additional thereto;

FIGURE 19 shows FIGURE 18;

FIGURE 20 shows diagrammatically the manner in which two shelf boards according to FIGURE 17 may be packed for shipment;

FIGURE 21 shows a perspective view of a shelf-board bracket and an angular bracket which is adapted to be hooked thereon;

FIGURE 22 shows while FIGURE 23 shows a front of a part of a partition 18 provided with means partition at right angles a top view of the device as shown in a side view of a partition holder;

view of the partition holder according to FIGURE 22.

the invention consists of a base 1 While the standard 2 according to FIGURE 1 is provided with shelf-board brackets which projects only toward one side thereof, FIGURE 2 shows the same standard supporting such brackets which project toward opposite sides. In this event, the standard 2 may also support a double back wall 4a and 4b.

The standard 2 according to FIGURES 1 and 2 has a substantially H-shaped cross-section, as shown in FIG- URES 3 and 4, and consists of side walls 5 and 6 and a central web 7 which connects these two walls. The side walls 5 and 6 are provided at their front and rear ends with short, outwardly projecting flanges 3 and inwardly projecting flanges 11, and at equal distances from these ends with longer, outwardly projecting flanges 9, which are provided with hooked-shaped outer ends 10 which are bent in the direction toward the flanges 8 and are preferably curved slightly inwardly. The side walls 5 and 6 are further provided with inwardly projecting flanges 12 which extend parallel to and are spaced at a short distance from the end flanges 11 and have a length substantially equal to the length of these end flanges.

Due to the particular shape of the standard 2, the "back wall 4 may be inserted therein from the front and be clamped between the flanges 8 and 9, 10. The back wall 4 according to FIGURE 3 consists of stamped sheet metal and its flat side may, if desired, be perforated. Its lateral edge 13 is bent over at a right angle and inserted between the flanges 8 and 9, 18. For reinforcing the sheetmetal plate 4, its upper and lower ends are bent over so as to form flanges 14 which are provided with recesses 15 into which the hook 10 on flange 9 engages.

According to FIGURE 4, the back wall 4 consists of a panel, for example, of plywood, compressed Wood chips or the like, or of plastic or the like. This panel may also be employed in connection with the same standard 2 as previously described, but its rear side must for this purpose be provided with a groove 16 into which the hook 10 engages. This panel 4 is inserted between the flanges 8 and 9, It} in the same manner as the sheetmetal plate 4 according to FIGURE 3, and the lateral side of its outer surface then also engages with the inner side of flange 8. The opposite flanges 11 and 12 on the side walls 5 and 6 of the standard are provided for holding a strip 17 preferably of steel plate, which may be inserted between these flanges and serves for the purpose of reinforcing the standard and also for supporting the brackets 3 which may be hooked into any of the elongated apertures 18 in the strip 17 which may be spaced at any desired distances from each other. As illustrated in FIGURE 5, these apertures 18 in the strip 17 may also be cross-shaped.

The standards 2 according to the invention may be made of light metal which also has the advantage that the visible part thereof may be either polished or eloxadized. Due to the steel strip 17 which is inserted between the flanges 11 and 12 on the walls 5 and 6 of each standard 2, this standard has a solidity equal to that of the steel standards which were previously used for storage shelves.

As previously indicated, the standard 2 may be made of any desired length or of long standard lengths and may then simply be cut down to the particular length as desired. Due to the two-chamber structure of each standard 2, it is possible to insert the projecting end of either one or two cast bases 1 into its lower end, depending upon whether the brackets 3 for supporting shelf boards should project only toward one side, as shown in FIGURE 1, or toward opposite sides of standard 2, as shown in FIGURE 2. The upwardly projecting end of each of these bases which is inserted into the lower end of one or the other of the two chambers of standard 2 is made of a sufiicient length and fits so tightly into the respective chamber that there is no need 4 either to weld or bolt the standard and the base or bases to each other.

FIGURES 6 to 8 illustrate brackets which may be hooked into the cross-shaped apertures 18 in a steel strip 17 as shown in FIGURE 5. Each of these brackets has a horizontal supporting surface 19 which is secured to the upper side of a vertical reinforcing plate 20 and is provided with holes 19a into which short studs on the lower side of a layer 1% of rubber or soft plastic may be inserted for supporting and cushioning a glass plate which serves as a shelf board. The rear upper end of each bracket is provided with a T-shaped hook 21 which may be inserted into one of the apertures 18 in the steel strip 17 when the bracket is turned at an angle of 90 to the position as shown in FIGURE 7. When the bracket is thereafter turned back to its normal position, the neck 22 of the T-shaped hook 21 rests on the lower edge 23 of the aperture 18. Underneath the T-shaped hook 21, the rear end of the bracket is provided with a recess so as to form a holding projection 24 which, when the hook 21 is inserted into one aperture 18 engages into the next lower aperture 18 and abuts against the upper edge 25 of this lower aperture.

As illustrated particularly in FIGURE 10, each of the brackets according to FIGURE 9 is further provided with several lateral tablike projections 30 upon which the shelf board or boards may be placed. A very simple manner of producing these projections 30 consists of punching them out of the plate 20. The upper ends of these tabs 30 may be bent slightly outwardly. As illustrated in FIG- URE 21, these projecting tabs 32 may also be used for hooking additional supporting angles thereon. Each of these angles consists of a vertical part 71 and a horizontal part 72. The vertical part 71 is provided with a recess 73 of a width equal to that of the tab 32, while from the horizontal part 72 a pair of triangular pointed prongs 74 are punched out and bent vertically upward, thereby leaving corresponding apertures in the horizontal part 72. The inner edges 76 of prongs 74 extend vertically, while the outer edges 77 extend at an oblique angle to the upper surface of part 72.

If after the angles 71, 72 have been hooked over the tabs 32, a shelf board of wood or a similar material is to be mounted thereon, such a board may be placed upon the prongs 74. A light blow upon the upper side of the board will then suffice to drive the prongs 74 fully into its lower side. The shelf board then rests flat on the upper surface of the horizontal angle part 72 and it is prevented from sliding thereon in any direction by the prongs 74. The corresponding parts of the shelf as previously described may be easily packed together and shipped separately from theother parts, and all of the parts may be very easily and quickly assembled.

As illustrated in FIGURE 11, the bracket may also carry a raillike tag holder 37. For this purpose, the side wall of a supporting member 33 is clamped behind the projecting tabs 32 and its rear end is bent downwardly substantially at a right angle for abutting against the rear edge of a shelf board or for being secured thereto. The front end of the supporting member 33 is likewise bent downwardly substantially at a right angle, and near its front edge 34 it is provided with a corrugation 35 so as to form a recess in its upper surface. The lower front end 36 of the supporting member 33 is bent over toward the rear so as to form a hook.

This supporting member 33 permits the tag holder 37 to be clamped thereon in the manner as shown in FIG- URE 11. The tag holder is for this purpose provided on its rear side with hook-shaped projections 38 and 39. The upper hook 38 is adapted to engage into the recess which is formed by the corrugation 35', while the lower hook 39 is snapped over the lower bent-over end 36 of the supporting member 33.

FIGURE 12 illustrates a partition for dividing the space on a shelf board into separate sections or compartments.

This partition consists of a frame 40, a lower horizontal rod 41 and vertical rods 42. As shown more clearly in FIGURES 13 and 14, each foot 43 and 44 of this frame has a horizontal pin-shaped arm 45 and 46, respectively, by means of which the partition 40 to 44 is clamped tightly upon the shelf board 47 which in this case is illustrated as consisting of a sheet-metal plate. The pinshaped arm 45 fits into a groove 48 in a tag rail 50 which is clamped over and covers the front wall 51 of the shelf board 47, while the pin-shaped arm 46 fits into a groove 49 in a clamp 52 which is clamped over the rear wall of the shelf board 47.

FIGURE 17 illustrates a modification of the manner of securing a framelike partition as shown in FIGURE 12 to a shelf board. In this case, the groove 48 for receiving the pin-shaped arm 45 on the foot 43 of the partition is not provided in the tag rail 50 but in the shelf board 47 which therefore differs slightly from the shape as shown in FIGURES 12 and 13. According to this modification of the invention it is possible to secure the framelike partition to a shelf board even if the latter is not provided with a tag rail, namely, by clamping it directly upon the shelf board.

The framelike partition 40 according to FIGURE 12 may also be modified so as to serve as a support for additional partitions or the like. As illustrated in FIG- URES 15 and 16, a pair of small angular brackets 54 and 55 are secured in vertical alignment to the two horizontal rods 53 and 41 of the frame. Each of these brackets 54 and 55 has an angular cross section as shown in FIGURE 16, and its arms together with the horizontal rod 53 or 41 define two U-shaped recesses 56 and 57 which extend at right angles to each other. The corresponding recesses 56 and 57 of both brackets 54 and 55 are adapted to receive the edges of partitions, not shown, which may be inserted therein from above.

A modification of the means for holding additional.

partitions on the frame 40 is illustrated in FIGURES 18 and 19. These holding means consist of a pair of vertical brackets 58 and 59. The opposite ends of bracket 58 are secured to the horizontal frame rods 41 and 53 so that the part of this bracket intermediate these rods projects from and extends substantially parallel to the plane of frame 40. Theother bracket 59 is laterally spaced from and extends parallel to the bracket 58 and it is likewise secured to the horizontal frame rods 41 and 53. The upper and lower ends of this bracket are, however, additionally bentso as to form U-shaped parts 60 and 61 behind which a partition may be inserted so as to extend along and parallel to frame 40, while another partition which extends at right angles to the plane of frame 40 may be inserted into the gap 62 between the two brackets 58 and 59.

A further modification of the means for holding additional partitions on the frame 40 according to FIGURE 12 is illustrated in FIGURES 22 and 23. These holding means consist of a flat element 78 which may consist, for example, of plastic and is provided on its front side near its upper and lower ends with two forwardly projecting horizontal strips 79 and 80 which are provided with a plurality of corresponding recesses 81 in vertical alignment with each other and laterally spaced from each other. The upper end of the holding element 78 is bent over toward the rear so as to form a hook 82 for hanging the holding element over the upper horizontal bar of frame 40, as shown in FIGURE 12. Near its lower end, the holding element 78 is provided on its rear side with a projecting strip 83 which, when the holding element is hooked over the frame 40, passes between the feet 43 and 44 thereof directly underneath the lower horizontal bar 41 and then locks the holding element against any unintentional removal in the upward direction. The holding element 78 may be further provided with a low flange has a width ridgelike strip 84 above the strip 83 for bracing the holding element on the vertical frame bars 42.

In order to increase the solidity of the shelf boards and to facilitate the operation of packing them for shipment, it has been found advisable to provide their free ends 63 with several corrugations, as shown in FIGURES 17 and 20. These corrugations reinforce the shelf boards and also permit two boards to be packed together without any intermediate packing material by being placed inversely to each other so that the corrugations 63-of both boards engage with each other and thereby also prevent the boards from shifting in their longitudinal directions relative to each other within their common outer packing material.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, I wish to have it understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim is:

1. A shelf comprising at least two standards of any desired length, each having a substantially H-shaped cross sect-ion formed by a. pair of parallel side walls and a central transverse web connecting said side walls, a short outwardly projecting first flange on each lateral end of each side wall, and another pair of outwardly projecting second flanges on each side wall, each of said second flanges being spaced at a certain distance form the associated first flange and having a hook-shaped end facing in the direction toward said associated first flange, at lease one back wall having parallel lateral edges and a recess in one side spaced from each of said edges at a distance slightly smaller than the width of each of said second flanges and adapted to receive said hook-shaped end of one of said second flanges, brackets adapted to be mounted on each of said standards and projecting at least toward one side thereof, horizontal shelf boards on t and supported by said brackets, and at least one base for supporting each of said standards and atleast one of said back walls thereon.

2. A shelf as defined in claim 11, in which said second greater than the width of said first flange, the hook-shaped end of said second flange being arcuately curved in the direction toward said first flange.

3. A shelf as defined in claim 1, further comprising a pair of parallel flanges adjacent to each end of each of said side walls and spaced from each other so as to form an intermediate slot and projecting inwardly toward the corresponding opposite flanges onthe other side wall, and a substantially flat sheet-metal strip adapted to be inserted into said slots between said opposite flanges, said strip having a plurality of equal apertures spaced from each other in longitudinal alignment with each other in the longitudinal direction of said strip, each of said brackets being designed at one end thereof so as to permit said end to be inserted and hooked into at least one of said apertures to mount said bracket in a fixed position on said strip.

4. A shelf as defined in of said bracket has at least spaced from each other hooked into at least two 5. A shelf as defined in claim 3, in which said apertures in said strip are spaced at equal distances from each other and each of said apertures forms a substantially crossshaped slot said end of said bracket forming a flat part having a height slightly greater than the distance between the opposite ends of two of said slots and having an upper substantially T-shaped projection thereon within a plane extending at right angles to the plane of said flat part, the crossbar of said T being adapted to be inserted into an upper slot when said bracket is turned so that said flat claim 3, in which said end two projecting end portions and adapted to be inserted and of said apertures.

part extends substantially at right angles to the longitudinal direction of said slot so that, when said bracket is turned at an angle of 90 after the insertion of said T- shaped part, said crossbar is hooked behind said strip, said end of said bracket having on said fiat part a lower straight projection adapted to engage into a lower slot and substantially to abut against the upper end thereof after said bracket has been turned subsequent to the insection of said upper projection.

6. A shelf as defined in claim 5, in which the lower edge of said end of said flat part has at least one recess therein into which the lower end of said lower slot is adapted to engage.

7. A shelf as defined in claim 3, in which said bracket has near said end at least two recesses in its upper edge and at least two saw-tooth shaped projections on its lower edge, each of said projections being associated with one of said recesses in said upper edge, the front edge of each of said recesses being in alignment with the tooth edge of the associated projection so as to permit said bracket to be mounted on said strip in different angular positions.

8. A shelf as defined in claim 1, in which each of said brackets has a plurality of tablike projections on at least one lateral side thereof in alignment with and spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of said bracket for supporting said horizontal shelf boards, said projections being punched out of the body of said bracket.

9. A shelf as defined in claim 8, further comprising a plurality of rectangular supporting members each having one web adapted to engage with one lateral side of said bracket and having a central recess in the free lower edge of said web of a width substantially equal to the width of one of said tablike projections which is adapted to engage into said recess and to hook over the front side of said web, the other web of each of said supporting members being adapted to support a shelf board.

10. A shelfas defined in claim 9, further comprising triangular projections punched out of said other web so as to project upwardly therefrom and adapted to penetrate into the lower side of said shelf board so as to hold the same in a fixed position thereon.

11. A shelf as defined in claim 1, further comprising a tag holder adapted to be clamped upon the front end of said bracket having an end surface extending substantially vertically to the upper surface of said bracket, said upper surface, having a recess adjacent to its end, said tag holder having an upper hook and a lower hook projecting from its rear upper end and its rear lower end, respectively, said upper hook being adapted to engage into said recess in said upper surface and said lower hook being adapted to engage over and behind the free lower end of said vertical end surface.

12. A shelf as defined in claim 1, further comprising a partition, and means for clamping said partition upon said shelf board at any desired part of its length so as to project upwardly therefrom and to extend substantially transverse to the length of said board, said partition having horizontal projections on its lower end, a pair of raillike members adapted to be clamped over the front and rear edges of said shelf board, each of said raillike members having a horizontal groove in the front side thereof near its upper edge, said horizontal projections being adapted to be clamped into said horizontal grooves.

13. A shelf as defined in claim 12, in which said raillike member which .is adapted to be clamped over the front edge of said shelf board forms a tag holder which is adapted to cover the front edge of said shelf board.

14. A shelf as defined in claim 12, further comprising at least one holding member secured to said partition and adapted to hold one lateral edge of at least one additional vertical partition when said additional partition is inserted from above into said holding member.

15. A shelf as defined in claim 12, further comprising at least one holding member for holding additional partitions on said first partition so as to extend at substantially right angles thereto, said holding member having a hook-shaped part on its rear upper edge for holding said holding member over the upper edge of said first partition so as to be suspended vertically thereon, and having at least two horizontal striplike projections on its front side, said projection having a plurality of recesses therein spaced from each other, each of said recesses in one of said striplike projections being in vertical alignment with a corresponding recess in the other projection, said corresponding recesses being adapted to hold one edge of an additional partition, and means on said holding member near the lower edge thereof for maintaining said member in a vertical position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,872,049 2/1959 Slater 108-108 2,994,413 8/1961 Levy et a1 108-107 2,998,107 8/1961 Zimmerla 52-36 3,066,774 12/1962 Dahme 108-92 3,102,499 9/ 196 3 Shelor 108108 3,182,812 5/1965 Fenwick 21l148 3,193,885 7/1965 Gartner et al. 108-108 3,200,775 8/1965 Peters 108108 3,269,077 8/1966 Janus 248-243 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

F. ZUGEL, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 316 863 May 2 1967 Felix Zock It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 6, line 30, "form" should read from Column 7, line 9, "section" should read sertion Signed and sealed this 15th day of December 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

1. A SHELF COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO STANDARDS OF ANY DESIRED LENGTH, EACH HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY H-SHAPED CROSS SECTION FORMED BY A PAIR OF PARALLEL SIDE WALLS AND A CENTRAL TRANSVERSE WEB CONNECTING SAID SIDE WALLS, A SHORT OUTWARDLY PROJECTING FIRST FLANGE ON EACH LATERAL END OF EACH SIDE WALL, AND ANOTHER PAIR OF OUTWARDLY PROJECTING SECOND FLANGES ON EACH SIDE WALL, EACH OF SAID SECOND FLANGES BEING SPACED AT A CERTAIN DISTANCE FORM THE ASSOCIATED FIRST FLANGE AND HAVING A HOOK-SHAPED END FACING IN THE DIRECTION TOWARD SAID ASSOCIATED FIRST FLANGE, AT LEASE ONE BACK WALL HAVING PARALLEL LATERAL EDGES AND A RECESS IN ONE SIDE SPACED FROM EACH OF SAID EDGES AT A 